Seth Lapre noticed the change halfway through the game when he glanced up at the stands in Chilliwack.
His impression of a human octopus was drawing a crowd.
Lapre was playing the game of his life in goal for the Farr Fabricating bantam Tier 1 Cougars, with the Vancouver Thunderbirds on a feeding frenzy, and the birddogs were taking notice. As the game progressed, the scouting crowd multiplied fivefold.
"Halfway through the second we stopped to get the ice flooded and I came back onto the ice and I could see about 60 scouts in my end of the ice - I was so nervous," said Lapre.
The Cougars were badly outshot but won 4-1.
"That was probably the best game I've played in my life," said the 14-year-old Lapre, whose powerful handshake and baritone voice belie his tender age. "I was making saves I don't even know how I was making."
That was one of many impressive outings Lapre had as a second-year bantam. At six-foot-one, 190 pounds, Lapre casts a large shadow, a rare commodity for goaltenders his age, and that has raised his stock considerably.
Knowing there's a good chance he'll be selected in today's Western Hockey League bantam draft, Lapre will be sticking close to his phone while attending his Grade 9 classes at Kelly Road secondary school.
"There's always been that interest in him because he's a bigger kid," said Farr assistant coach Tyler Brough. "He gets from post to post quick for a big guy and doesn't get out of position a lot and he has quick gloves. He has the ability to scramble but he's pretty composed back there."
Lapre began showing an interest in sports when he was six and started out in hockey as a skater, making the switch to goaltending after his first season. He's also a standout in basketball, playing post for the Prince George junior Timberwolves under-15 club team.
The T-wolves opened their season last weekend in Kamloops and with just six players available finished with a 2-2 record. Coach Todd Jordan, who also coaches the UNBC Timberwolves men's team, has been working with Lapre for one-and-a-half seasons and says he has all the tools to become a solid player in the CIS.
"It's very hard to project when you're talking about a 14-year-old kid but he's a very strong basketball player who is probably going to get to six-foot-five at least, and I think he'll have an opportunity to be a post-secondary player down the road," said Jordan. "I've seen a ton of development in him. He's a talented guy and a big-bodied kid and he's definitely a good athlete who works hard and is very coachable. He's going to be coming to a crossroads here where he'll have to make a decision (between hockey and basketball)."
Lapre has also excelled in baseball, playing mostly at first base. He emerged two seasons ago as the top catcher at the triple A provincial championship with the Prince George Knights. Catching all those fastballs honed his glove hand for stopping pucks.
"Seth was an absolute joy to coach," said Jim Swanson, who coached Lapre for three seasons on Knights rep teams. "He never missed a practice and he wanted to be better. He'll succeed and have a chance at a scholarship in whatever sport he chooses."
This summer, Lapre will be concentrating his efforts on basketball, which should leave him in tiptop shape for the Cariboo Cougars' major midget hockey training camp in August. The U-15 T-wolves will travel to Langley for the club provincial basketball championship, June 6-8, and are also booked for a camp at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. Their big trip will be to play in the Amateur Athletic Union Bigfoot tournament in Las Vegas in mid-July.
Lapre has been accepted into the Canadian Sport school at PacificSport Northern B.C., based at the Northern Sport Centre. He'll attend regular morning classes at Kelly Road, then go to the NSC in the afternoon for sport-specific weight gym workouts with professional trainers. The school has a qualified instructor on hand to oversee the athletes while they complete their school work in class.
The Calgary Hitmen have had several conversations with Lapre. None of the other WHL teams have made contact with him but that doesn't mean the other teams in the league aren't interested. He'll know for sure if he gets a call today.
"I'm nervous, that's a big jump," Lapre said. "I wasn't thinking I'd even have a chance this year."
"I think my size is a big aspect because there's not that many big goalies my age. If I don't get drafted I'll just be working on a lot of strength and conditioning to help me with both sports (hockey and basketball)."
Lapre will be in action on the ice this weekend at the Cariboo Cougars' identification camp at the Elksentre, which starts Friday afternoon.
